What does παρατίθημι (paratíthēmi) mean in the Bible?
Paratithēmi means to set before, place beside, entrust, or commit something or someone to another's care. Paul entrusts a charge to Timothy in keeping with prior prophecies.
Greek · G3908
παρατίθημι
To set before
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παρατίθημι G3908
Pronunciation paratíthēmi
What does παρατίθημι (paratíthēmi) mean in the Bible?
Paratithēmi means to set before, place beside, entrust, or commit something or someone to another's care. Paul entrusts a charge to Timothy in keeping with prior prophecies.
Reader summary
Full entry for παρατίθημι (G3908) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3908?
The BSB source-word alignment has 19 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include I commit (2), set before (2), to set before (2), [Jesus] put before (1), and set (1).
Where does παρατίθημι (paratíthēmi) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 13:24. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (5), Acts (4), Mark (4), Matthew (2).
What This Word Actually Means
Paratithēmi means to set before, place beside, entrust, or commit something or someone to another's care. Paul entrusts a charge to Timothy in keeping with prior prophecies. Timothy must entrust received teaching to faithful people able to teach others. Jesus says much will be required from the one to whom much has been entrusted. Peter tells sufferers who follow God's will to entrust their lives to a faithful Creator while doing good.
The verb can describe delegated responsibility or personal committal, but entrusting never transfers ultimate ownership or excuses unaccountable control. The recipient becomes a steward answerable to the giver and the content of the trust.
How the Bible Uses It
Paratithēmi describes placing a charge, teaching, responsibility, or one's life into trusted care. Timothy receives and passes on gospel stewardship, Jesus links entrusted abundance to accountability, and sufferers commit themselves to the faithful Creator.
- 1Tim.1.18
Timothy, my child, I entrust you with this command in keeping with the previous prophecies about you, so that by them you may fight the good fight,
First Timothy 1:18 says Paul entrusts this charge to Timothy in accordance with prophecies about him, so he may wage the good warfare while holding faith and a good conscience.
- 2Tim.2.2
And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well.
Second Timothy 2:2 commands Timothy to entrust what he heard from Paul before many witnesses to faithful people competent to teach others. Gospel transmission requires fidelity and capacity.
- Luke.12.48
But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.
Luke 12:48 says much will be required from everyone given much, and more demanded from one entrusted with much. Stewardship increases accountability rather than privilege.
- 1Pet.4.19
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
First Peter 4:19 tells those suffering according to God's will to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Trust does not mean passivity before perpetrators; it locates final security in God.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It I commit 2× Luke 23:46, Acts 20:32
set before 2× Mark 6:41, 1 Corinthians 10:27
to set before 2× Luke 9:16, Luke 11:6
[Jesus] put before 1× Matthew 13:24
and set 1× Acts 16:34
as they entrusted 1× Acts 14:23
be set before [them] 1× Mark 8:7
entrust 1× 2 Timothy 2:2
has been entrusted 1× Luke 12:48
He put before 1× Matthew 13:31
I entrust 1× 1 Timothy 1:18
is set before 1× Luke 10:8
proving 1× Acts 17:3
should entrust 1× 1 Peter 4:19
they distributed [them] 1× Mark 8:6
to set before [the people] 1× Mark 8:6
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 13:24 παρέθηκεν to [Jesus] put before Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 13:31 παρέθηκεν to He put before Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Mark 6:41 παρατιθῶσιν to set before Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural Mark 8:6 παρατιθῶσιν to to set before [the people] Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural Mark 8:6 παρέθηκαν to they distributed [them] Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Mark 8:7 παρατιθέναι to be set before [them] Verb - Present Infinitive Active Luke 9:16 παραθεῖναι to to set before Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active Luke 10:8 παρατιθέμενα to is set before Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Plural Luke 11:6 παραθήσω to to set before Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Luke 12:48 παρέθεντο to has been entrusted Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 13:24
Aligned rows 19
Books represented 8
Matthew 2 Mark 4 Luke 5 Acts 4 1 Corinthians 1 1 Timothy 1 2 Timothy 1 1 Peter 1
Source forms
παρέθηκεν 3x parethēken Matthew 13:24, Matthew 13:31, Acts 16:34
παρατίθεμαι 2x paratithemai Luke 23:46, Acts 20:32
παρατιθῶσιν 2x paratithōsin Mark 6:41, Mark 8:6
παρέθεντο 2x parethento Luke 12:48, Acts 14:23
παραθεῖναι 1x paratheinai Luke 9:16
παραθήσω 1x parathēsō Luke 11:6
παράθου 1x parathou 2 Timothy 2:2
παρατίθεμαί 1x paratithemai 1 Timothy 1:18
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 3x Matthew 13:24, Matthew 13:31, Acts 16:34
Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular 3x Luke 23:46, Acts 20:32, 1 Timothy 1:18
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural 2x Luke 12:48, Acts 14:23
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural 2x Mark 6:41, Mark 8:6
Verb - Aorist Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Singular 1x 2 Timothy 2:2
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x Mark 8:6
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active 1x Luke 9:16
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 1x Luke 11:6
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not describe people as property or use entrusted authority to control, isolate, or conceal harm.
- Do not invoke trust in God to discourage lawful reporting, safety planning, medical care, or practical action.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not describe people as property or use entrusted authority to control, isolate, or conceal harm.
- Do not invoke trust in God to discourage lawful reporting, safety planning, medical care, or practical action.
Evidence Summary
FaithMessiah
Greek word. To entrust something precious to someone's protective care or faithful stewardship.
Strong's G3908
Lexical occurrences 19 verses Greek text appearances 19 times 16 shown below Word forms 5 forms 19 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link 1 Peter 4:12-19 Source Gloss
to set before
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 19 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 13:24 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρέθηκεν pareqhken
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Matthew 13:31 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρέθηκεν pareqhken
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Mark 6:41 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Subjunctive
παραθῶσιν paraqwsin
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Mark 8:6 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Subjunctive
παραθῶσι· paraqwsin
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Mark 8:6 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
παρέθηκαν pareqhkan
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Mark 8:7 Verb Second Aorist Active Infinitive
παραθεῖναι paraqeinai
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Luke 9:16 Verb Present Active Infinitive
παρατιθέναι paratiqenai
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Luke 10:8 Verb Present Passive Participle Accusative Plural Neuter
παρατιθέμενα paratiqemena
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Luke 11:6 Verb First Person Singular Future Active Indicative
παραθήσω paraqhsw
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Luke 12:48 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Middle Indicative
παρέθεντο pareqento
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Luke 23:46 Verb First Person Singular Future Middle Deponent Indicative
παραθήσομαι paraqhsomai
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Acts 14:23 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Middle Indicative
παρέθεντο pareqento
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Acts 16:34 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρέθηκε pareqhken
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Acts 17:3 Verb Present Middle Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
παρατιθέμενος, paratiqemenov
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse Acts 20:32 Verb First Person Singular Present Middle Indicative
παρατίθεμαι paratiqemai
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verse 1 Corinthians 10:27 Verb Present Passive Participle Accusative Singular Neuter
παρατιθέμενον paratiqemenon
I set before, serve, entrust to
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 19 Tenses Aorist, Present, Future Voices Active, Middle, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 10×
Aorist Active Matt 13:24 · Matt 13:31 · Acts 16:34 · Mark 8:6 4×
Present Middle Luke 23:46 · Acts 20:32 · 1 Tim 1:18 3×
Aorist Middle Luke 12:48 · Acts 14:23 2×
Future Active Luke 11:6 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 2×
Present Active Mark 6:41 · Mark 8:6 2×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 2×
Present Active Mark 8:7 1×
Aorist Active Luke 9:16 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 3×
Present Passive Luke 10:8 · 1 Cor 10:27 2×
Present Middle Acts 17:3 1×
Imperative command or strong request 2×
Aorist Middle 2 Tim 2:2 1×
Present Middle 1 Pet 4:19 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 18 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 9 aorist 8 future 1
Voice
active 9 middle 7 passive 2
Mood
indicative 10 participle 2 imperative 2 infinitive 2 subjunctive 2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 13:24 παρέθηκεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 13:31 παρέθηκεν aorist active indicative completed Mark 6:41 παρατιθῶσιν present active subjunctive subjunctive Mark 8:6 παρατιθῶσιν present active subjunctive subjunctive Mark 8:6 παρέθηκαν aorist active indicative completed Mark 8:7 παρατιθέναι present active infinitive infinitive Luke 9:16 παραθεῖναι aorist active infinitive infinitive Luke 10:8 παρατιθέμενα present passive participle participle Luke 11:6 παραθήσω future active indicative prospective Luke 12:48 παρέθεντο aorist middle indicative completed Luke 23:46 παρατίθεμαι present middle indicative ongoing Acts 14:23 παρέθεντο aorist middle indicative completed Acts 16:34 παρέθηκεν aorist active indicative completed Acts 20:32 παρατίθεμαι present middle indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 10:27 παρατιθέμενον present passive participle participle 1 Timothy 1:18 παρατίθεμαί present middle indicative ongoing 2 Timothy 2:2 παράθου aorist middle imperative imperative 1 Peter 4:19 παρατιθέσθωσαν present middle imperative imperative
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
to commit for safekeeping
to commit something valuable into the care of another
to entrust, commit
Additional Occurrences
Luke 23:44–49 παρατίθεμαι paratíthēmi
I commit, entrust
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 19 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
παρατίθημι is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Expresses Christ’s voluntary surrender of life. 1 Peter 4:12-19
The gospel message is treated as a sacred trust that must be faithfully passed to reliable teachers. 2 Timothy 2:1-7
Encourages active trust in God’s faithful guardianship amid trials. Luke 23:44–49
Canonical Themes
Faith Messiah
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Paratithēmi frames leadership as stewardship. Timothy does not invent his charge or own the apostolic message; he receives it with a good conscience and must place it into the hands of faithful, capable teachers. Jesus turns entrusted abundance into increased accountability, overturning the assumption that access and authority are rewards for status. Peter directs suffering believers to commit themselves to the faithful Creator while continuing to do good.
Churches should therefore document responsibilities, test character and competence, share authority appropriately, and protect people and resources placed in their care. Entrusting is never permission for control, concealment, or bypassed safeguards. Ultimate security belongs to God, and every human steward must answer for the trust received.
Anchor passage
2Tim.2.2
Doctrinal connections
- Revelation and tradition: apostolic teaching is received, witnessed, guarded, and transmitted rather than reinvented.
- Church leadership: faithful character and demonstrated ability matter for those entrusted to teach.
- Stewardship: greater trust produces greater accountability before God.
- Conscience: ministry warfare must retain faith and a good conscience.
- Suffering and providence: believers entrust themselves to the faithful Creator while persisting in good.
- Divine faithfulness: God remains the ultimate keeper when human institutions or circumstances fail.
Paratithēmi combines para with tithēmi and can mean set before, place beside, entrust, commit, or deposit. The object and recipient show whether the action is presentation, delegation, or personal committal.
From Old to New Testament
Priests and leaders receive entrusted charges, teachers pass covenant words to the next generation, and sufferers commit their way to the Lord. Scripture consistently treats stewardship as accountable to God.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain